How to Manage Pain after Colon Surgery

The secret to living a healthy life is by taking care of your body. You can do this by eating the right kinds of food in the right amounts and doing daily exercise. But because of the lifestyle changes of many persons, millions of people are getting sick every year.

Even if you don’t want to end up getting sick, there are times when it is inevitable. And just when you think that you’re already living a healthy life, you’re diagnosed with colon cancer.

All the future dreams of colon cancer patients fall apart upon the diagnosis of the disease especially if they are already on the late stage. It would be better if the disease was diagnosed earlier because it can be cured through several treatments.

If you think that you’re a candidate for colon cancer, it would be best to monitor your health and look for the possible symptoms. If you experience any symptom like diarrhea, constipation, bloating, blood in your stool, etc. you must consult a doctor immediately and undergo the necessary tests to determine if you have the disease.

Several tests will be performed to determine the extent of the colon cancer and only after proper diagnosis is the treatment plan given. If the primary procedure is surgery, you will have to deal with the pain normally felt after the surgery.

No one wants to experience pain and for colon cancer patients, this is one situation that they have to face if they want to get well. Pain after colon cancer surgery can be controlled through the use of certain medications.

One very common medication given to colon cancer patients who had surgery is Epidural Anesthesia. This is not only used for abdominal operations but also for chest and leg operations as well. Colon surgery uses this particular treatment to manage pain.

An epidural catheter is placed near the nerves of the spine that carries sensation from the abdomen (where the operation was performed). For several days, the pain can be controlled through the infused mixture of narcotic drug and anesthetic drug. This is also the time when the pain is at its highest level so this is greatly needed to control the pain.

Epidurals provide great pain management without modification of consciousness and appreciable sedation. The nerves are also not affected since the anesthetic drug given is just a small amount. In this stage, you can walk, deep breathe, and cough. This will also prevent pneumonia development.

Once the pain subsides and this usually happens after several days, the doctor may prescribe milder medications like pain killers in pill-form.

Don’t use any medication not otherwise prescribed by your doctor. This can also help in preventing any complications. Besides, your doctor may still recommend further tests to make sure that the cancer cells are no longer present in your colon or in other parts of the body.

Follow all the instructions of your doctor so that the pain will disappear in a few days. The pain-killer medications will be of great help for you especially after the surgery. Take them according to the instructions of your doctor so that the pain will not last for a long time. Your body will heal soon enough so you don’t have to bear with the pain forever. Remember to live a healthy lifestyle from then on. Being a cancer survivor also means that you’re given another lease on life, so make the most of it.

by: Rajesh Karavadia